


the things we do for people we've never met

by redledgers



Category: Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, First Dates, Pizza, Wrong number
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-29 07:43:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8481286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redledgers/pseuds/redledgers
Summary: sorry I called the wrong number but do you wanna come over and bring pizza?





	

He had a habit.

He doesn’t realize it’s a habit until he misdials the phone number to his favorite takeout place, the one that opens early on weekends, and gets an unfamiliar voice. (Usually he is greeted by name because he is the only person to call on Saturdays and Sundays right when they open.) But when the familiar voice of whoever works isn’t on the other line, he wonders how hung-over he really is.

“Excuse me? I asked who is this?” The voice belongs to a woman, and he decides that if he could marry a voice, he would marry this one.

“Wrong number?” he offers weakly. His head is pounding, and honestly she’s barking into the phone in such a way that exacerbated his headache. If he wasn’t so completely wrecked, he’d probably enjoy it. “Thought you were takeout.”

“Well, I’m not. Have a good day.”

Bucky only half hears her when he drawls, “Hey but if you wanted to bring pizza over I’ll pay for it and we could just hang out?”

There’s a long pause, and he thinks she might have hung up if not for the soft sound of city noise on the other line. “Fine. Where do you live?”

Oh god, oh god, oh god. He rattles off his address and she hangs up. Bucky slumps back into bed and whines. Somehow he manages to fall back asleep and would think it was a dream but is woken by the sound of his apartment buzzer. Groggy, he shuffles over and buzzes whomever it is in. Then there’s a knock on his door and oops, wasn’t a dream.

Bucky opens the door to the scent of two pizzas and almost passes out, not because he’s hung over, but because she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen in his life, and she somehow agreed to bring him pizza.

She raises an eyebrow. “Are you going to let me in or am I going to have to eat this pizza by myself in the hallway?”

He runs a hand through his hair and steps aside. “Thanks,” he manages.

She brushes by him and sets the boxes down on his counter. He follows, opening one and taking a slice out, not caring what it was. Mouth full, he says, “Really, thanks.”

She doesn’t look amused. “Plates?”

“Over there.” He motions toward a cupboard and she takes out two plates, putting pizza on hers and sitting on the counter.

“I can’t say this is the weirdest date I’ve ever been on,” she says after a moment. “It’s not like I had anything better to do today anyway.”

Bucky tries not to choke on the pizza, which he has now determined to be Hawaiian. He sets it on the plate she took out for him and wipes his hands on his sweatpants. “How much do I owe you? For the pizza and also the delivery?”

She waves her hand at him dismissively. “Nothing. I was bored, this seemed interesting enough, and I like a bit of danger with my lunch.” She levels him with her gaze and puts the plate on the counter beside her. “The name’s Natasha.” 

“Uh yeah, Bucky.” He offers his hand for a handshake, but she doesn’t take it.

“Your mailbox says James.”

“I go by Bucky.” He checks the second box of pizza and is delighted to find one topped with meat. It takes a little self-control to not shove it into his face (if she hadn’t been there, he probably would’ve), and he puts two slices against each other like a pizza sandwich to maximize how much he can get in one bite.

“Do you often invite strangers into your home on the premise of needing take out?” Natasha leans toward him and takes another slice of Hawaiian.

“Not usually. Hey, you want something to drink? I got beer, juice probably, and water.” Bucky gets a cup of water for himself and holds a second cup in his hand, waiting for her response.

“Water is fine, thank you.” She accepts the glass.

Bucky sits on the counter adjacent to her. “So why’d you come?”

“I had nothing better to do.” Natasha’s nonchalant in her answer, but Bucky wonders if he sounds attractive on the phone. “Besides, you don’t look that much like shit for someone who’s incredibly hung over.”

“Thanks?”

They (Bucky) eat most of the pizza in companionable silence, until Natasha slides off the counter and washes her hands. “Unless you want to hang out longer, I’m leaving.”

“You wanna take the rest of the Hawaiian pizza home?”

She eyes him and shakes her head. “You look like you might need it. Besides, I don’t usually eat pizza.”

Of course she didn’t. She offers a smile before leaving. Bucky shrugs, confused, and consolidates the food. He notices a number and a note scrawled onto the corner of the pizza box.

 _Had fun. Call me again sometime. – N._  

Maybe it was time for a new habit.


End file.
